Letter To Mayor About Anti-Conscription Meeting

Chronicle (Levin), 20 July 1949, Page 7

Letter To Mayor About Anti--Conscription Meeting

Press Association)

(Per

CHRISTCHURCH., Jui y 19. The Mayor of Christchurch (Mr. Jii. H. Andrews), has been threatened witli reprisals if an anti-conscriptioii . meeting is held as scliedtiled in the Civic Theatre tomorrow evening. Today he received the follovving letter printed in pencil on light banlc paper: — "I wijSh. to warji you as Mayor oi this city, that we intend to take drastie action • if you allow the . Oonununist Party to speak in the Civic Theatre on Wednesday. As a gentleman of standing we should have thought that you would he the last person to allow such goings on — enemies of the State speaking in a civic huilding. To think that we fought and suifered for five years to save these people 's skin, who are now ready to sell this country to a foreign 1 power, and you are willing to help. Our fallen comrades shall he avenged on this new terror that is greater than that which they died for. So it is left in your hands to stop this meeting — otherwise we go into action." The letter is signed "Down witn Russia .Society." A footnote adds: "We mean business." i "The whole tliing is absurd," said Mr. Andrews today. Nonually he ignored anonymous letters but it seeiued that some explanation was necessary in this case. "I don't let the Civic Theatre," he said. There was reguiar machinery for dealing with applications. Those responsible under the City Council often let the theatre for causes they did not support personally. All groups were entitled to use a pubiic Iia.ll. "Parliament has decided to seek the opiuion of the electors in a referend niu on conscription and consequentiy both sides have the right to state their case," Mr. Andrews continued. "Mr. Fraser himself has said there must be 110 interfcrence with freedom oi speech. ' ' Mr. Andrews added .that he preside at the meetings of Mr. Fraser and Ma-. Hollaud in Christchurch.